River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1887-04-28

1 Inc Old lovers stood Tor mOinef
face to face in silence; scrutinizing on
another, the lady secretly. though nc
La trace of the hard work he la1 under
gone escaped her; the gentleman open
ly. He was the first 10 speak:
1T Is long since we met, Miss Gilt
ford?'
Net since we were together at Lang
ley" she rel led. softly.
Eyes, when the diamonds wer
stolen. | wonder if that business vii
ever be cleared up?'
just then the dinner was announced
and the guests filed down in solemn
procession. Although Col. lie Mar
chant escorted Miss Clifford her atten
ton was At first claimed by her othel
( ueighbors. But when the conversation
/ had become sufficiently animated to al
/ low of private conversation, Col. lie
/ MdTchant turned toward her and theil
/ ewes met.
What wretched time that was.
he said. softly.
indeed il was. But was il not curiOu,
how they found those diamonds?"
Pound them.You don't say so he ex-
claimed. eagarlv. when? Do tell
ME, please. Miss Clifford. You see. /
only came home Il few days ago and
have heard nothing.
..Oh, it i nearly a year since Sir
James was out fishing with one of the
boys, when his line got entangled i'm
tine branches of an old tree which had
fallen into the river al some time. In
disentangling it they saw something
wedged in against the trunk of the tree,
which, after little trouble. they fished
out. 1t proved 10 be the identical case
in which Lady Langley kept her dia-
mOnds, and when il was forced open
there they We're safe enough, and re-
ports which appeared later declared
that the box must have lain there ever
since the night of the robbery. The
theory Is that whoever stole it must
have hidden it under the river-bank.
meaning 10 fetch il when the fuss had
blown over. but that the current swept
II away till the tree stopped il.
.Curious,' said Col. lie Marchant.
slowly
Yes. is it not2" she forced herself
TO an answer quietly, for the strange
expression on her companions face
troubled her, she scarcely knew WHY
Il suppose there can be- no doubt that
It was some of the servants; though
after such a lapse of time it would be
hopeless to try and bring it home to
any one.
lie Marchant looked at her sharply,
and was just going to speak when their
host interrupted him with some ques-
ton about the Soudau. aud the CONVEX
satiOn became general till the ladies re-
tired.
Miss Clifford had sheltered herself in
the drawing room behind large port
folio of rare prints TO think. undisturb-
ed, over her unexpected meeting with
8er old lover, when the subject of her
thoughts quietly came up and took a
seat beside her
Il cannot tell you how glad | am
that those diamonds have been recover
ed, he said.
$50 am |. she answered. ..Do YOU
know, | feel as if were a clairvovant
or something of that sort. for ever since
the robbery. whenever / have been at
all unweI. my nightmare has been
about those diamonds and the river. |
hear the rushing of the waters quite
plainly. she went on. dreamily, un-
consciously dropping into the old tone
her companion remembered so well
Il wonder WHY it iS?''
suppose it is because you really
hid the diamonds under the bank of
Langley Water was the startling an
Swer
II hid the diamonds. WHAT on earth
10 you mean? You must be mad, Col
H. Marchant
No, am not. l saw you do it, 5"
h. replied quietly.
You saw me DO it? Then. why in
goodness did you not say so at the
tine?"
because I was mad then, Cecil. and
made horrible mistake.
.You thought / stole the diamonds?''
lie was silent.
Then that was why YOU were 50
keen about that poor little lady's
maid?"
He nodded.
You believed-O.-and were trying
to screen me all the time,''
Forgive me. Cecil.
But do YOU mean that you actually
saw me take the diamonds?" she asked
in wonder. please tell me-"
Col lie Marchant stopped over the
book of prints Miss Clifford was osteu-
Sibly examining. and answered in low
voice: Il hadsat up late inthe smoking
room. worrying over some money
troubles. when, startled to find how
late it was. was retreating as silently
as | could to my quarters. As was
passing along the bedroom passage |
suddenly saw You lnyour dressing-gOwn
come ont Of Lady Langley's room
carrying a tin box. Instinctively /
drew back behind the curtain of the
staircase window and you walked by
without noticing me. i followed You
softly. You went TO that little side
door in the garden by the drawing
room. about which Young Lovat had
chafled Langley so much. unfaStened
Il. and went ont right across the lawn
toward the river. Then to my horror.
Won went over the bank, till | felt
certain YOU would slip in. and | was
Just rushing up to catch You when YOU
scrambled back-without the box! You
returned as YOU came, by the little
door Through which | followed you)
and regaiuej your room. / was too
utterly taken aback To speak TO YOU,
for the idea that you were Sleep-walking
never struck me till just now. Next
morning. when the robbery was dis
covered, | remembered the box YOU
had carried, and then the recollection
of that tin ease YOU and Lady Langley
had spoken of flashed across my
mind
But did you never 20 to look at the
place."
Yes, that very day; but though
felt certain that was on the exact spot,
| could find nothing. This confirmed
my suspicious that YOU had an accom-
plice, for | watched You close enough
to know You had not again visited tn,
river. 80 You can imagine my feeling.
when found vol. as 1 thought, tryinG
to iix the crime ON Mrs. Crompton'
maid.
Good heavens, Then that wa.
what YOU meant that last day when yol
made mo 81 au.rrv Well A. nfusiof